1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a new process for the production of 5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid and/or its salts with microorganisms of the strain Agrobacterium sp. DSM 6336 or descendants thereof or mutants, such descendants and mutants having the capability to utilize 3-cyanopyridine as their sole carbon, nitrogen and energy source and which have the capability to convert 2-cyanopyrazine into 5-hydroxypyrazine carboxylic acid.
In the following document, the term 5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid also means its salts, for example, its alkali salts or ammonium salts.
2. Background Art
It is known that 5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid in the metabolism of dogs and humans is formed from pyrazinamide by pyrazinecarboxylic acid [J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 180(2), (1972), pp. 411-434].
A microbiological process for the production of 5-hydroxy-pyrazinecarboxylic acid is known from European Published Patent Application No. 0519512. In this process 5-hydroxypyrazinecarboxylic acid is produced starting from pyrazinecarboxylic acid by microorganisms utilizing nicotinic acid.
A great drawback of this process is that the feedstock, the pyrazinecarboxylic acid, is difficult to obtain.